A place to sit to remove shoes at temples

My partner has disability issues and has to sit down to remove and put on his shoes. Do the temples have a bench or a ledge in the entrance where he can sit?

Because there are many people in Japan with similar problems, there almost always seats or benches at places like that.

All have steps or benches to sit on at entrance ways.

Thank you. Your answers were really helpful.

I can walk fine, but I have difficulty bending down. I just returned from a trip to Nikko where many temples/shrines require shoe removal. Maybe I did not search in the right locations, but I did not find any benches/chairs where you can sit to remove/wear shoes. They provide shoehorns, but I did not see a place to sit.

I guess we'll have to hope for the best.

It's also worth noting that depending on the specific temple you visit, you might not need to remove your shoes at all.

In pretty much all temples, shoes are not allowed in the front section of the main hall (i.e. the area directly in front of the main altar). However, in many temples general visitors aren't allowed in this front section of the main hall. Instead, the hall is divided into two sections by a low railing with the altar still visible from the general-visitor area, in which the floor is stone and you don't have to remove your shoes.

That said, it's also not unusual for temples to have visitors-allowed areas that do require you to remove your shoes, but depending on the specific temples you're visiting, taking off/putting on your shoes might not be something you have to do every time, especially at mid/smaller size temples. I've done entire days of temple hopping in Kamakura while keeping my shoes on the whole time.

As opposed to modern apartments (like what we call "manshon"), in most if not all traditional buildings, you take your shoes off at ground level and then you climb up to a floor. It's not uncommon to sit on that uplifted floor to remove your shoes.

If there is someone around, you can typically gesture a "May I sit here to take off shoes?" and the people of the house/temple/shrine would either say yes or point you to a seat.

At "barrier-free" places, there would be a slope leading to the higher floor, but still there usually would be a place where there is a gap between the floor and ground suitable for one to sit.

Nowadays, the main income for temples are funerals, which means that there would always be elderlies in the family of the deceased. Leg and back problems are the norm.

most temples and old buildings have some very high entrance steps. you can usually sit on them if no chairs are provided, i often saw people doing that.